When we are discontent and not thankful, we slap God in the face.
Dare 2 Share - “Do everything without complaining”- Paul
I have an extremely deep theological question for you: what would God say to the Seven Dwarves? No really, when you think about it, the Seven Dwarves represent all the personality types of people. Therefore, once you answer the question, you know what verses might apply to your character traits. Let’s give it a try-
Bashful- Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. (2 Corinthians 3:12)
Sneezy- Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. (James 5:14)
Dopey- "How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?" (Proverbs 1:22)
Doc- Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” (Luke 5:31)
Sleepy- Do not love sleep or you will grow poor; stay awake and you will have food to spare. (Proverbs 20:13)
Happy- Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. (James 5:13)
And of course there is one more: Grumpy- and you know what? God would have a lot to say to him. For example:
Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the LORD, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the LORD burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. (Numbers 11:1)
"How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites. (Numbers 14:27)
Do everything without complaining or arguing (Phil 2:14)
God is definitely not pleased with grumblers, whiners, protesters, complainers, and malcontent moaners. In fact, bellyaching believers very quickly get on God’s nerves. Are you Grumpy? Here’s a few statements that are common phrases of carping Christians:
Things are so unfair.
Why can't I have a boyfriend/girlfriend?
Why didn't God give me a lot of money?
Why does she get all the solos in church?
Why does he get the great assignments for the newspaper?
I never get any breaksI hate my job/school/homelife!
And so on, and so on. But what's the big deal? I'll tell you...our complaining ultimately comes from our bitterness against God. When we are discontent and not thankful, we slap God in the face. We think we can run our lives a lot better than He can, and we don’t mind telling Him so.
"Your point being . . . ?"
I know one person that could have complained and whined about life not being fair. He lived 2000 years ago, and He’s the reason that I have any hope in this life whatsoever. What if He had said, "Hey, wait a minute! This isn't fair. I haven't done anything wrong. Why should I give My life for a bunch of miserable sinners? They don't deserve it."
Remember-we as Christians are the only Jesus that many people ever see. Grumblers paint a terrible picture of the Savior.
Are you a complainer who needs an attitude check? The best anti-grumbling medicine I know of is a thankful attitude. We as believers should be the most grateful people in the universe. Take some time this holiday weekend to make a list of all the things for which you are thankful- then carry it around with you to review anytime you start to give in to “grumpy-itis”.
Questions
1) What are my favorite things to grumble about?
2) How has my complaining helped me and hurt others?
3) Do I sometimes think life is unfair?
Holiday Bonus!
4) On what basis do I decide that I am being treated fairly by God and others? How have I handled inequities in my life?
